Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

67

She ventured into the darkened woods and wondered vaguely if the old stories about the Sidhe were true. She cast a tempus charm regularly and never strayed off the path. She swore the trees were closing in around her and when she encountered a dark loch, she knew it was time to turn around. She had been lucky with one kelpie, she didn't want to see how she'd fare against another.

"I don't know Regulus" Eliza mumbled, throwing her bowl into the sink as she joined him at the window "It's almost Yule"

"Ah" he said with barely concealed distaste "Family"

"They're your family too you know" she pointed out and Regulus wrinkled his nose.

"I was dead to them even when I was alive" he muttered, glaring at the lamp-post across the street "Besides I'm not the one who promised to visit them"

She had only been gone for three months, and she called her family every night. It felt like barely any time had passed at all and she was still restless. She still wanted to continue, to travel and move on and see new things. But at the end of the day she had made a promise.

"I won't be staying long" Eliza said and Regulus let out a disbelieving hum.

"Go home Eliza"

And for once she agreed with him.

~

"Eliza" Sirius screeched the second she landed in the foyer of Grimmauld Place. Her luggage clattered around her when Sirius ran through it to envelope her in a massive hug and Eliza laughed as she returned it.

"You're acting like I've been gone for a year, its only been a few months"

"And are we not allowed to miss you?" Remus chastised, coming to hug Eliza far more gently than Sirius had "Now come on, Kreacher has lunch ready for us. We can unpack your bags later"

Said elf was already herding them all into the kitchen muttering about how "The Little Mistress was far too thin" and how she had been "galivanting around on her own for too long"

"Tell us all about it" Sirius exclaimed as they settled into their chairs at the kitchen and Eliza broke into a bright smile when she found Blaise lounging on a chair at the table.

"You each called me almost every night" Eliza pointed out and hugged Blaise from behind before taking a seat next to him.

"Who cares" Blaise cut in "Tell us more anyway - I bet there are things you got up too that you didn't tell us about"

The resurrection stone sat heavily in her pocket.

"Well actually there was this one pub in Ireland" she began with a grin which only grew when Remus let out a soft 'oh no'

It was nice to be back with her family, back in the comfort of her own home. She spent time catching up with her court, with her family and the Malfoy's over the next few days. It was rare that they actually got snow at Yule and even though Eliza didn't like the stuff she could appreciate the aesthetic as she sat in one of the empty rooms of Grimmauld by the window. The snow dusted the streets below them, resting on the branches of the trees as she watched it fall.

She had returned home three days ago and had almost reflexively settled into her old routines and yet she was already feeling restless. Now that she had begun to travel she didn't want to stop, she wanted to continue on her way. But she couldn't deny that she was happy at home, happy to stay here for just a little bit longer.

"Moping over loverboy?" Regulus questioned as he popped into existence by the windowsill, eyeing the room in barely concealed disdain.

"Someone will see you" Eliza warned but didn't withdraw the magic that sustained Regulus' incorporeal existence. It wasn't that trying truly. Eliza always had an excess of magic and with her title of master of death it only made it easier to connect with her necromancy.